National Sport News

Top seeds through in Miami

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all made it safely through to the third round of the Sony Open in Miami.

Second seed Djokovic looked in good touch against Jeremy Chardy as he outserved the Frenchman, sending down eight aces and winning 70 per cent of the points on his first serve en route to a 6-4 6-3 success.

Federer caused the Ivo Karlovic service machine to malfunction, t he former world number one using his own serve to get the better of the 35-year-old ace specialist as he won 95 per cent of points on his first delivery and 92 per cent on his second.

He had the match wrapped up by a score of 6-4 7-6 (7/4) in just 75 minutes.

Federer, the 2005 and 2006 champion, will meet Thiemo de Bakker in the third round after the Dutch qualifier upset 28th seed Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7/4) 6-7 (3/7) 6-2.

The number four seed, David Ferrer, was also victorious, seeing off Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-4 6-0, with the ninth-ranked Richard Gasquet getting the better of Alejandro Gonzalez 7-6 (9/7) 6-4 in their first career meeting.

Tommy Robredo was too good for the rising Dominic Thiem, winning 6-4 7-6, while Grigor Dimitrov went through three sets before getting past Albert Montanes 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-3.

Elsewhere in the men's draw, Feliciano Lopez recorded a 6-2 7-6 (7/3) win over Jiri Vesely and Florian Mayer dropped five games in a 6-3 6-2 success against Ivan Dodig. Meanwhile, Kevin Anderson was a 6-4 6-3 winner against Horacio Zeballos.

In the women's draw, Venus Williams was not at her fluent best but was an ultimately comfortable 6-3 6-3 winner over Anna Schmiedlova.

The Slovakian held her own until broken in the seventh game of the opening set and, though Williams failed to serve out the second set after a monstrous backhand winner by Schmiedlova, she broke straight back by taking her first match point.

Three-time champion Williams, 33, told BT Sport: "It's good to be back - again. I feel a little old but it's good to have success as an oldster!"

Williams will face the the Australian wild card Casey Dellacqua, who slipped past Jana Cepelova - a late call-up for the injured Simona Halep - 6-4 1-6 6-4.

There was a shock as former world number one Jelena Jankovic was beaten by Varvara Lepchenko, going down 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7/2).

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska had no such troubles, disposing of Switzerland's Romina Oprandi 6-0 6-4.

Australian Open champion Li Na went through after Alisa Kleybanova pulled out of their clash with a virus and will face Madison Keys, the up-and-coming American who tipped out Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2.